Sad to read this. RIP
Very sad news. Such a thoughtful and engaging man…
One of the attendees at the Margaux tasting in Atlanta a couple weeks ago was speaking fondly of Paul, for many reasons. How strange (and, of course, sad) to hear of his passing so soon after that event where he was so celebrated
Big loss to the wine world. We met him an en primeur a few years ago and he was a very gracious host. RIP
I had the privilege of spending a good deal of time with him, and I will miss him greatly; it’s not only Margaux but Bordeaux as a whole is the poorer for his loss.
I will miss his enthusiasm, his love for his wines, his cheerfulness, his intelligence, his curiosity and most of all that wry, self deprecating humor which was so much a feature of his conversation. Margaux was always one of our first stops, because from Paul you would always get an unvarnished view of a vintage. But then we always knew when he really loved his wine, he could barely contain the skip in his walk. I suppose the wines of Chateau Margaux will be considered his legacy, and rightly so; he was one of Bordeaux’ most gifted winemakers. But for me, it will be the memory of a great man in a tweed suit and a smile as he talked about the subtleties of that year’s wine.
That’s a very kind epitaph Mark.
This has truly been a horrible Easter for wine lovers. Henri Bonneau and Paul Pontallier, some of the wine world´s greatest personalities, both taken from us. RIP.
We were supposed to have lunch together today. It was an incredibly sad visit to Margaux without him. 2015 will be a testament to Paul. I wrote this about Paul yesterday. Paul Pontallier of Chateau Margaux Passes Away at 59 years of age
Way too early. RIP Monsieur Pontallier.
Wow, another huge loss for the wine community. What a shame.